"If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun." - Katharine Hepburn

Saturday, 31 December 2011

Just a quick note to say thanks to all of you for being part of my life via my blog. Some of you have been with me from the beginning, and since the blog is approaching its 7th blogiversary, that's really saying something! I appreciate so very much your comments, emails, interest and support for my work as a writer and for the changes in my life ever since I made the decision to move here to France. It's not always easy doing something bold, but knowing that there are other people out there cheering me on... well, it makes a huge difference. So my grateful wish for all of you in the New Year is this: May you be blessed by all manner of abundance in your lives... good health, true love, financial prosperity, creativity, work you love, good friends, fun, laughter and joy, and of course as much boldness as you can handle! Much love and light to all, and a very Happy 2012!
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Friday, 30 December 2011

Thinking back on the past year and all that I've done, experienced or perhaps NOT done, instead of writing a long missive, I decided a bullet list was more in order to capture the highlights. Make of this what you will. ;) Memoir first draft finished Venice in May for my 50th and our overdue Honeymoon Paris and London in July with my best friend and my goddaughter NJ/NY in August with Georges & the Little Guy -- awesome from start to finish, even getting to stay 2 extra days because of Hurricane Irene Nephew's wedding in August -- such a happy time! Finally finding and then buying our first investment apartment 10 year Carte de Residence! Woo-hoo! Lost weight Gained weight Survived French classes at the Sorbonne But still cannot use the subjunctive tense Saddened by news of one school friend's suicide and another dying in a tragic accident Took a lot more photos thanks to my 2011 Tumblr blog. Will do another for 2012 Did NOT end up in the hospital for any reason (so happy about that!) Have NOT yet found my perfect hairstyle or color. Pfft Memoir second draft finished (well... as of tomorrow. My right...
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Thursday, 29 December 2011

Today is the first crappy weather day of our lovely Christmas holiday at the plage. And yes, I'm greedy and wanted sunshine EVERY SINGLE DAY so I'm feeling a little resentful about waking up to cold, cloudy skies. For this, I could have stayed in Paris, right? (Yeah, I know you're thinking "Stop your kvetching, woman... you live in Paris so shut up already!") I realized yesterday that the end of the year is upon us and I didn't complete my mission of finishing my first book revision by year's end so I can start pitching the book to agents. Therefore, today will find me hunkered down at the dining room table while Georges takes the Little Guy out to a movie this afternoon. My goal is by Saturday -- New Year's Eve -- to have the revisions done "enough" that I will feel comfortable sending out query letters to a dozen or so agents starting on Monday. I can still work at tweaking bits of the manuscript after that, but this way if an agent says he/she wants to see the manuscript I won't be embarrassed to send it out and I won't have to stall for more time....
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Tuesday, 27 December 2011

So far, our time in Saint Raphael has been tranquil and ideal. It's not super-warm, but we have had sunshine every day and if you're sitting or walking in the sun, you can usually go without a coat. For December, I'll take that kind of weather any time. At least I'm not shoveling out after a blizzard like last December in New Jersey! The local fish market has created these flash-code tile signs that really work! (You take a picture of the code with your smartphone and it brings up the fish market's web site! Try it now, you can flash-code the photo!) We found them embedded in the sidewalk along the port-side market. Love it when small town businesses make good use of technology like this. I've been eating a lot of seafood, which is one of the perks of being near the actual sea because everything is so fresh. Despite some insistent prodding from the Little Guy, I am still unable/unwilling to put an oyster anywhere near my mouth. But otherwise there are plenty of langoustines, shrimps and scallops (called Saint Jacques here) to keep me very, very happy. On the menu for lunch today... little veggie raviolis...
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Monday, 26 December 2011

On a big sand dune the town created to protect against winter storm damage (2nd one so far this winter, the 1st having already been leveled by high storm waves) -- my Georges on "Melon Beach".
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Wednesday, 21 December 2011

Monday, 19 December 2011

We're having our official Christmas with all THREE of the kids tonight, because the older two will be spending the holiday with their mom this year. Then tomorrow morning, the Little Guy and I are hopping the TGV to Saint Raphael (Georges follows on Wednesday) where we'll spend Christmas and the New Year with Georges' sister. And where I'm hoping it's at least sunny and a few degrees warmer than in Paris. With all of this going on, suffice to say I'm about run off my feet today. Gifts all wrapped... CHECK. Gifts for St. Raph packed in suitcase for Georges to bring on Wednesday... CHECK. Gifts for tonight under the tree... CHECK. My suitcase packed... um, well nearly. Little Guy's suitcase packed... um, almost. His clothes are all laid out, just have to put them in. Remembering that we want to bring swimsuits to swim in the municipal indoor pool... CHECK (whew, almost forgot). Unpacking and repacking the big gift suitcase when I realize I forgot to put something in there the first time... CHECK. Step-daughter off doing food shopping for tonight's dinner... CHECK (she's also doing the cooking, wheeeeee!) Disaster of a dirty kitchen all cleaned up so...
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Sunday, 18 December 2011

As cultured as I like to think I am, I will see something like these cool Mondrian-inspired serving trays (at Arteum, a great art-themed gift shop in the Carrousel du Louvre) and immediately think: THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY BUS! I am SUCH an American.
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